The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-27
BELLIGERENT POWERS.

to relate) of the blood and thunde
order.
BELLIGERENT POWERS.
A CAREFUL ESTIMATE OF TIL
sTRENGTa
OF the French and German Armies
and Their Readiness for
war.
NEW YORK, February 25.-Tht
Sun, upon careful review, says that
both in her land and sea forces
France has a peace effective numeri.
cally superior to that of Germany
The difference is greatest in the navy
and there also it could not be made
up, should a war occur at any time
before 1890; yet, though it may seem
q contradiction, in the navy this
French numerical superiority is the
least important. Germany has no
colonies worth attacking, and her
comparatively short coast line at
home, where accessible at all, is we'll
provided with defenses, while France
has long coast line to guard. Above
all, the tremendous vigor with which
war on land would be waged between
these powers would make it the de-
cisive element; just as in 1870, when
the French naval superiority was
perhaps even more marked than to-
day, it yet availed nothing. For this
reason it is not important to COM
pare the naval forces of the two
countries. The army peace estab-
lishment of France is the larger, but
in population and potential arms
bearing resources Germany has the
advantage. France has the greater
debt and heavier taxes to sustain,
but from these taxes the govern
ment receives the ampler appro-
priations each year for mill
tary and naval PURPOSES. The peace
effective OF the French army, ac
cording to last years budget, is $685.
283, comprising 81, 140 officers and
492, l42 enlisted men. Maj. Huber
ding, of the German war ministry,
in reporting recently to the special
committee OF the Rcichstag on the
army bill, estimated the French
peace force of enlisted men at only
1000, possibly subtracting either
the gendarmerie, numbering 25,825,
or else the military schools and bu-
reau troops which, combined, amount
to q 900. The peace footing of the
German Empire comprises 18, l43
officers and 427 ga men, making an
aggregate of 445,4l7. Thus in the
peace effective the advantage is clear
ly on the side of the French. The
news of yesterday, however, an
nouuces that $500 infantry and
1900 rifemen, making a total of 49,
600 men, of the German reserves,
have been summoned to drill during
the present week, SO that for the
next fortnight the effective force
with the colors will be about
as great ON the German side.
Turning to the war footing,
the first addition of France would
be swhat is called the territorial
army, which comprises an aggre-
gate of $4,000 officers and men.
Other additions might carry the to-
tai effective under the first call up to
10000 men, including all arms and
staff services. The German mobili-
zation for a war footing, without the
landsturm and special organizations,
but including garrison and field re-
serves, would comprise 30, 427 officers
and ,456,677 men, with about q, 900
more for the medical and collateral
forces. Thus we see again how close
the two notifications would come in
numerical strength. When the land
sturm is called out on the one side
and its French equivalent on the
other, the Germans have an ultimate
superiority of numbers, although the
French nominally counterpoise the
advantage Of population by making a
larger ratio of their people liable to o
military service. Still, so far as num-
bers are concerned, the French would
be much better off at the outset than
in 1870. Were it possible for them,
by sudden dash, to invade Alsace
and Lorraine, and neutralize the ad-
vantage in population which their
possession gives to the Germans,a new
face might be put upon the struggle.
The German Qualifications. military
skill and watchfulness, however,
and the probability that if there
is war this year it will be due
to Germany's taking the initiative,
render this contingency unlikely to
occur. The difference between the
respective organizations of the two
forces may be briefly indicated by
saying that France is a little the
stronger in infantry, about in proper
ton to the general strength of her
peace organization. She is decidedly
the stronger in artillery, and espe-
cially in the number Of her field
guns. Maj. Huberding declared to
the Reichstag that the French bat
teries now contain 452 mounted
pieces more than the German, the
latter having 1404 to the 1856 of
France. On the other hand, the
Germans are very much stronger
than the French in cavalry, having
fully seventy more squadrons and
about ene-third more total cavalry
force. One Of the highest cavalry
authorities in France declares that
the disparity in this respect at the
outset would be much greater, since
q large part of the French mounted
force is absent in Africa, making the
German available force nearly double
that Of the French. In a week or
ten days, however, the absent French
cavalry could be recalled, and then
the respective strength in this arm
would be an aggregate of about a.
600 officers and men fer the Germans
against 4S, 900 for the French.